Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1879 — FARM NOTES. [ARTICLE]

FARM NOTES.

Some light soils suffer from certain manures as men suffer from alcohol. The stimulation caused by them is followed by an injurious reaction, resulting in sterility. Ripeness in sweet potatoes may generally be determined by cutting several and allowing the cut surface to dry. If they dry evenly white, without dark spots, the crop is considered mature and ready for digging.— North Carolina Farmer. The wicks of kerosene lamps should be changed frequently, or, if not too short, washed in strong, hot soap-suds, with some ammonia in the rinsing water. We think the trouble with poor light from kerosene lamps probably arises from the wicks being full of the sediment or refuse matter which comes from the oil, and that impedes the free passage of the kerosene through the wicks.— Christian Union. How to Save Clover Seed. —Cut the clover about the 15th or 20th of September. The usual w r ay of cutting the clover for seed is to cut with a reaper set to cut very low, and to cut it off in small bunches. Then turn these bunches two or three times a day. Do not commit the common error of taking it in to* soon, or the clover will be hard to thrash. The seed should be thrashed out with a clover huller.— —Toronto Globe. The end of the potato nearest to the plant is called the stem-end, and the opposite the seed-end. At the seed-end the eyes are much more numerous than elsewhere. It is generally conceded that these are more excitable than the others, and consequently start first. In illustration of this fact are the experiments of Dr. F. M. Hexamer, of New Castle, N. Y. Out of 100 potatoes planted whole, 98 started from the seed-end. —New York World. Clipping Fowls’ Wings.—To prevent poultry from flying, etc., it is a common practice to simply cut the feathers of a w’ing; but these, unfortunately grow again. A plan much adopted here is to cut the extremity of the pinion, or “tip-bone, about half an inch from the articulation. This maims the wing for life. The operation must be performed when the bird is four or five months old, and in the spring or autumn. The wound quickly heals.— Paris letter to New England Farmer.

Temperature for Seeds.—Seeds are more easily killed by high temperature than low. Though no seeds have been known to germinate below 37 degrees Fahrenheit, they are, with few exceptions, destroyed by a temperature above 168, and many kinds perish below that point. They will not germinate above 128 degrees. Most seeds will stand the severest cold of the winters in this latitude, and wheat left for years in the Arctic region has been sown in England afterward, -where it germinated freely.— Springfield Union. Many years ago a friend of mine had a dozen very large trees that were bearing heavy crops of apples every other year, so he took a long pole and gave them a heavy beating just as the fruit was about the size of hickory nuts, knocking off every fruit on the south side of the trees. The result was, as I saw for several years, that these trees bore heavy crops on one side one year, and the next year a heavy crop on the other side, so that for many years he had plenty of apples for home use every year. His trees stood in a rich soil that was annually cultivated—no grass sod to cover the roots. — Weekly Rural. Soot as . a Manure.—To strong growing greenhouse plants, such as pelargoniums, fuchsias, roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, azaleas, solanums, and many others, soot is a valuable and easily obtained stimulant. A handful of it tied in a bag and stirred in a threegallon can of water has a marvelous effect on all the plants just named, and on many others besides. It induces vigorous growth, and adds freshness and substance to both leaf and flower. It is better to use it in small quantities and often, rather than charge the compost with more carbon than the plants can readily assimilate. For the more robust growers, especially if grown in small pots, mixture with fresh manure from the cow-shed is desirable, but this should be allowed to settle before using, otherwise the grassy particles will remain on the surface of the pots, and, while giving them an unsightly appearance, exclude the free aeration which all healthy roots require. Montreal Gazette.